Clothes hanger



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Sept. 17, 1968 United States Patent Oflice 3,401,855 Patented Sept. 17,1968 3,401,855 CLOTHES HANGER Rudolf Balzer, 14258 Aztec, Sylmar, Calif.91345, and 3J. Stensrud, 15015 Parthenia, Sepulveda, Calif.

Filed Aug. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 570,972 4 Claims. (Cl. 223-94) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE Normally oppositely depending arm portions are pivotallymounted on a central supporting portion through flexible strips betweenupper edges of each of the arm and supporting portions for pivotalmovement of the arm portions from the normally oppositely dependingpositions vertically upwardly to vertically extending collapsedpositions adjacent the supporting portion. Mating edges of thesupporting and arm portions are formed with interengaging projectionsand grooves having flanges engageable in generally horizontal directionswhen the arm portions are in the normally oppositely depending positionsproviding extreme stability against bending in the horizontal directionsbetween the supporting and arm portions. The entirehanger is preferablyof an integral plastic construction.

This invention relates to a clothes hanger for hanging clothes on asupporting object, such as a closet hanger rod, and more particularly,to a collapsible clothes hanger which may be selectively placed in acollapsed position to as to be in a compact form for easy storage ortransportation when not in use.

Many prior forms of clothes hangers have been provided, most of whichhave been of a completely rigid form necessarily including oppositelydepending arms for properly engaging clothes to be supported thereon.Although these prior clothes hangers have been satisfactory forper-forming the clothes hanging function, due to the depending armsthereof, a relatively large amount of space is required for storage ortransportation during periods when these hangers are not in use.

For instance, there are many occasions when extra clothes hangers arerequired in the average household, although not normally used at othertimes. Furthermore, there are many occasions when it is desirable totransport clothes hangers, such as in a suitcase, so that these hangersare available when the suitcase is unpacked and the clothes containedtherein are to be hung up. In either case, the supporting and widelydepending nature of the clothes hangers makes them not adaptable forconvenient storage or packing, in view of the relatively large spacerequired.

There have been certain prior forms of clothes hangers provided whichare collapsible so as to reduce this space required for storage andtransportation, but none of these prior forms have been completelysatisfactory for numerous reasons. One such reason is that in theseprior collapsible forms the means for locking the depending arms thereofin their normal clothes-supporting positions have not properly guardedthe hangers against accidental collapse, thereby making the hangersvirtually unusable. Another of such reasons is that the priorcollapsible forms have frequently been quite expensive to fabricate soas to be not economically practical for use by the average person.

It is, therefore, an-object of our invention to provide a clothes hangerfor hanging clothes on a supporting object which is convenientlycollapsible in order to occupy less space during storage andtransportation, yet when placed in a normal clothes-supporting positionwill securely sustain this position. By providing the oppositelydepending arms thereof with positive, yet selectively detachable,locking means between these arm portions and the central supportingportion thereof, the arm portions are securely locked and retained intheir normal, oppositely depending positions during use of the hanger.Furthermore, the locking means is formed such that excessivemanipulation is not required for this selective detachment andreattachment.

It is another object of our invention to provide a clothes hanger forhanging clothes on a supporting object in which the entire hanger may beformed of one piece from a usual plastic material so as to be readilymoldable on a mass production basis and present the maximum economics offabrication. The requirements of the plastic material from which thehanger is formed are that the resulting hanger will be rigid, but thatportions thereof will be relatively flexible in order that the movementof the arm portions relative to the supporting portion may take placewithout damage to the structure. Also, the construction of the hanger,as well as the nature of the plastic material, must be such as tosustain repeated flexing during this collapse and reassembly in order towithstand use over a relatively long period of time.

It is another object of our invention to provide a clothes hanger forhanging clothes on ,a supporting object having the foregoing features inwhich maximum flexibility of the arm portions relative to the supportingportion thereof is provided, while at the same time, when the armportions are in their normally, oppositely depending locked positions,they are retained in these positions in a manner so as to be secure insupporting clothes on the hanger, while selectively detachable for thecollapsing movement. By forming the hanger of one piece and fromplastic, the pivotal movement of the arm portions relative to thesupporting portion may be provided by a flexible strip pivotallyconnecting the upper edges of the arm portions to the upper edge of thesupporting portion, and this flexible strip may extend integrally overthe entire extent of these arm and supporting portions. The lockingmeans may be provided between the arm portions and supporting portionunderlying this flexible strip pivotal connection and may includeprojections on one of the arm portions ,and the supporting portionpivotally receivable in complementary grooves or slots formed in theopposite of these portions, with interengaging flange means on theprojections and the walls forming the grooves so as to securely lock theportions in assembled position, yet permit selective disengagement andre-engagement by an outward flexing of the groove walls.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawing which is for thepurpose of illustration only, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the clothes hangerincorporating the principles of the present invention, with the hangerin assembled position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but with the hanger in collapsedposition;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevational view taken fromFIG. 1 and showing the pivotal connection between the hanger armportions and central supporting portion;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the broken line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but with the hanger in collapsedposition;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the broken line 6--6 in FIG. 5;and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the broken line 77 in FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawing, an embodiment of the clothes hangerincorporating the principles of the present invention is shown inextended position in FIG. 1 for supporting clothes in the normalfashion, and in collapsed position in FIG. 2. The hanger generallyindicated at is preferably formed as a unitary plastic molding fromusual plastics, such as polypropylene or high density polyethylene, theprime requirement of the particular plastic being that the resultinghanger It) will be relatively rigid for supporting clothes in the usualmanner when in extended position, yet the plastic will have sufficientflexibility for movement of the hanger to the collapsed position, aswill be hereinafter described.

As shown, hanger 10 includes an inverted U-shaped, central supportingportion 12 and the normally, oppositely depending arm portions 14, withthe central supporting portion having the central, upstanding hook 16for removably supporting the hanger 10 from the usual stationary object,such as the crossbar of a closet, not shown, and with the arm portionsangling slightly downwardly from the central supporting portion andterminating outwardly in arcuate ends 18. A transversely broadened,striplike upper edge 20 is preferably formed continuously along thecentral supporting portion 12 and arm portions 14 so as to extend theentire extent of the hanger 10 and, due to the inherent characteristicsof the plastic as described, provide strip-like, flexible connectors 22pivotally connecting the lower ends of the central supporting portionlegs 24 to the inner ends 26 of the arm portions. Underlying theconnectors 22, separable locking means in the form of slots 28 in thearm portion inner ends 26 and projections 30 in the central supportingportion legs 24 are provided for detachably or releasably connecting thearm portions 14 to the central supporting portion 12 for the pivotalmovement from the normal extended clothes supporting position shown inFIG. 1 to the collapsed position shown in FIG. 2 in which the armportions project vertically upwardly beside and preferably abutting thecentral supporting portion legs.

As shown in enlarged cross section in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, the centralsupporting portion projections 30 are formed with the transversely,outwardly extending flanges 32 which interengage with the transversely,inwardly extending flanges 34 provided on the walls forming the armportion slots 28. Again, due to the inherent characteristics of theplastic material from which the hanger 10 is formed, when the armportions 14 are pivoted from the collapsed position, as shown in FIG. 2,to the extended position, shown in FIG. 1, the central supportingportion projections 30 will enter the arm portion slots 28, forcing thewalls of these slots to flex transversely, outwardly and permit theprojection flanges 32 to interengage behind the slot flanges 34 so as todetachably retain the arm portions in the extended positions relative tothe central supporting portion. Also, when it is desired to move the armportions 14 from the extended position shown in FIG. 1 to the collapsedpositions shown in FIG. 2, upward forces are exerted on the arm portionsand will cause the flanges 32 and 34 to disengage by the outward flexingof the walls forming the slots 28 so that the arm portions may bepivoted upwardly relative to the central supporting portion through thestrip-like flexible connectors 22.

This locking means between the central supporting portion 12 and armportions 14 is extremely positive in view of the fact that thestrip-like flexible connectors 22 providing the pivotal movement betweenthe arm portions and central supporting portion are formed at the armportion upper edges and overlying the separable slots 28 and projections30. With this particular positioning, it can be seen that the downwardforces on the arm portions 14 caused by the weight of clothes hanging onthese arm portions in the normal use of the hanger 10 will tend tofurther engage these projections and slots, rather than tending todisengage the same. Further, due to the secure engagement providedbetween these slots 28 and projections 30 by the flanges 32 and 34, theusual slight upward forces on the arm portions 14 relative to thecentral supporting portion 12 encountered in the normal use of thehanger 10 will not cause disengagement between the projections andslots.

Also, as shown in the drawing, it will be noted that the flanges 32 and34 of the slots and projections 28 and 3t) interengage with each otherWhen the arm portions 14 are in their normal oppositely dependingpositions in generally horizontal directions. It will be further notedthat the slots and projections 28 and 30 with their flanges 32 and 34extend substantially totally along the mating edges of the supportingand arm portions 12 and 14 underlying the flexible connectors 22. Thus,the slots and projections 28 and 30 with their flanges 32 and 34 combinewith the flexible connectors 22 to give the supporting and arm portions12 and 14 extreme stability in the horizontal directions for resistingbending therebetween in said horizontal directions.

According to the principles of our present invention, therefore, aclothes hanger is provided which may be formed of a unitary plasticstructure, that is, with the arm portions 14 integrally connected to thecentral supporting portion 12, yet these arm portions may be selectivelymoved pivotally between normal outwardly extending and oppositelydepending positions in which the hanger func tions as a normal clotheshanger, to vertically, upwardly extending collapsed positions in whichthese arm portions are positioned closely beside the central supportingportion, and the hanger will occupy much less space. Thus, the hanger 10may function as a normal clothes hanger and for storage ortransportation may be collapsed into a space-saving position for theobvious convenience involved. At the same time, when the arm portions 14are in the normal, oppositely depending positions wherein the hanger 10is in normal clothes supporting position, the locking means formed bythe slots 28 received in the projections 30 is extremely positive, asprovided by the interengaging flanges 32 and 34, as well as the factthat this locking means underlies the strip-like flexible connectors 22providing the pivotal movement between the arm portions 14 and thecentral supporting portion 12.

We claim:

1. A clothes hanger for hanging clothes on a supporting object includinga central supporting portion and normally oppositely depending armportions, means on said supporting portion for hanging said portion onsaid supporting object, flexible strip means between upper edges of eachof said arm portions and said supporting portion for pivotallyconnecting said arm portions to said supporting portion movable fromsaid normally oppositely depending positions vertically upwardly tovertically extending collapsed positions adjacent said supportingportion, and selectively detachable locking means between each of saidarm portions and said supporting portion underlying said strip means fornormally locking said arm portions against said vertical upward pivotingin said normally oppositely depending positions and selectivelydetachable for movement of said arm portions to said collapsedpositions, said locking means including interengageable means engageablein generally horizontal directions when said arm portions are pivoteddownwardly to said normally oppositely depending positions for combiningwith said flexible strip means to resist bending in sad horizontaldirections between said arm and supporting portions and providerelatively rigid horizontal stability therebetween.

2. A clothes hanger as defined in claim 1 in which said supporting andarm portions are formed of a relatively rigid flexible plastic; and inwhich said interengageable means of said detachable locking meansincludes integral projections formed on one of said supporting portionand said arm portions received in complementary grooves formed in theother of said supporting portion and arm portions, means on saidprojections and extending inwardly within said grooves forinterengagement in generally horizontal directions by outward flexing ofwalls forming said grooves upon movement of said arm portions to saidnormally oppositely depending positions and disengagement by saidoutward flexing of said walls forming said grooves upon movement of saidarm portions from said normally oppositely depending positions towardsaid collapsed positions.

3. A clothes hanger as defined in claim 1 in which said supporting andarm portions are formed of a relatively rigid flexible plastic; in whichsaid strip means are formed integral with said supporting and armportions; and in which said interengageable means of said detachablelocking means includes integral projections formed On one of saidsupporting portion and said arm portions received in complementarygrooves formed in the other of said supporting portion and arm portions,means on said projections and extending inwardly within said grooves forinterengagement in generally horizontal directions by outward flexing ofwalls forming said grooves upon movement of said arm portions to saidnormally oppositely depending positions and disengagement by saidoutward flexing of said walls forming said grooves upon movement of saidarm portions from said normally oppositely depending positions towardsaid collapsed positions, said projections and grooves extendingsubstantially totally along edges between said supporting and armportions underlying said strip means.

4. A clothes hanger as defined in claim 1 in which said supporting andarm portions are formed of a relatively rigid flexible plastic; and inwhich said interengageable means of said detachable locking meansincludes integral projections formed on one of said supporting portionand said arm portion received in complementary grooves formed in theother of said supporting portion and arm portions, flanges on saidprojections, flanges extending inwardly within said grooves, saidprojection and groove flanges interengaging in generally horizontaldirections by outward flexing of walls forming said grooves uponmovement of said arm portions to said normally oppositely dependingpositions and disengaging by said outward flexing of said walls formingsaid grooves upon movement of said arm portions from said normallyoppositely depending positions toward said collapsed positions, saidprojections and said grooves with said flanges extending substantiallytotally along edges between said supporting and arm portions underlyingsaid strip means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 202,530 10/ 1965 Van Dusen.

D. 206,199 11/ 1966 Zuckerman.

1,336,429 4/1920 Gould 223--94 2,723,065 11/ 1955 Vargo 223-94 2,926,8233/ 1960 Weiser 22394 3,219,241 11/ 1965 Newton 223-94 3,240,375 3/1966Burrows 22031 XR 3,338,285 8/1965 Iaster 24201 JORDAN FRANKLIN, PrimaryExaminer. G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner.

